Dead.
All dead.
Those who deserved to die, those who didn't, those who took action, those who didn't—all were dead.
As for the hundred-plus Chixiao followers who had sided with Zhou Taihe, Gu Qingfeng had merely reclaimed the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant marks from within them, not killing them.
As the former sect master of the Chixiao Sect, he could not, and would not, tolerate these people taking the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant marks to join the Immortal Dynasty. For the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephant marks were forged from the essence of countless Chixiao brothers, and back in the day, far too many Chixiao brothers had died at the hands of the Immortal Dynasty.
As the master of the Great Hidden Dragon-Elephant, he could not tolerate these people bearing the Dragon-Elephant spirits to join the Immortal Dynasty either. For the Dragon-Elephant spirits were nurtured from the blood essence of the Great Hidden Dragon-Elephant, and it was precisely to protect them that the Great Hidden Dragon-Elephant had faced the Judgment of the Immortal Dao back then.
It wasn't that one couldn't be selfish, nor that one couldn't pursue the wealth and glory one desired.
But one must never forsake righteousness, and even more so, one must never forget one's roots.
This was his principle, his bottom line.
No one was allowed to trample upon it. Those who did would be executed without mercy.
Turning to look at Old Mei, Black Water, Black Buddha, and the other Chixiao people, he said, "Alright, stop kneeling. Get up. Since you now believe I am Gu Tianlang, let's find a place to talk."
Just as he spoke, Gu Qingfeng seemed to notice something. He looked up into the sky, his expression shifting slightly. "Go back to your branch and wait."
With that, he vanished without a trace.
"Monarch!
Monarch!"
The two Earth Fiend Lords, Black Water and Black Buddha, called out anxiously twice, but there was no response.
Old Mei said, "Since the Monarch told us to go back and wait, we shall go back and wait."
After the three hundred-plus Chixiao people of the Crimson-Letter Manor had left, Tang Yunhao and his wife of the Yanluo royal family seemed still deeply immersed in shock, unable to extricate themselves. A long while passed, until almost everyone who should have left had gone, before they finally snapped back to reality. They walked up to Old Monster Tang and asked, "Ancestor, that... that Gu Qingfeng... is he truly... truly the Monarch?"
"Nonsense!" Old Monster Tang, seemingly still displeased about Gu Qingfeng's massacre, roared angrily, "In this world, besides that brat Gu Tianlang, who the hell else would dare slaughter so wantonly and without restraint!"
When Gu Qingfeng was present earlier, Old Monster Tang, though unhappy in his heart, hadn't dared to speak up. Now that Gu Qingfeng was gone, the old man couldn't hold back his venting. "I've been putting on a smiling face, playing the humble servant these past days, serving him fine wine and good food every day, all just to get him to show some mercy when he acted! I reminded him over and over, fearing nothing more than him losing control and going on a killing spree."
"That brat promised so nicely back then, saying he's become honest now, his courage has shrunk, he doesn't kill anymore, even if someone took a dump and pissed on his head, he wouldn't say a word. Tsk tsk, listen to how nice that sounds."
"And the result? They were all slaughtered by that brat like pigs and dogs."
"Become honest? Courage shrunk? Doesn't kill anymore? And he wouldn't say a word even if someone took a dump on his head?"
"Gu Tianlang! Gu Tianlang!" Old Monster Tang, his face flushed red, shouted toward the direction in the sky where Gu Qingfeng had vanished. "Tell me, how could I have been so stupid as to believe the nonsense you spouted? I really... really must have had my head squeezed by a door."
"Enough, Old Monster, stop complaining. If the Monarch hadn't intervened, how would your Yanluo royal family have dealt with the Immortal Dynasty?" Xuan Ze interjected.
Old Monster Tang was indeed just venting.
Deep down, he knew better than anyone that if Gu Qingfeng hadn't acted today, Yanluo would have had no way to handle the Immortal Dynasty.
His displeasure wasn't truly because Gu Qingfeng had gone on a killing spree, slaughtering all the ancestors of the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects, causing these sects to decline and affecting Yanluo Kingdom's fortune.
To be honest.
While the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects did control Yanluo Kingdom's fortune to a certain extent.
If they declined, Yanluo Kingdom would inevitably be affected. In the Ancient Era, the impact could have been so great that Yanluo Kingdom might even have perished. After all, the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects controlled nearly half of Yanluo Kingdom's resources, their disciples were countless, and their affiliated forces were innumerable. In other words, once the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects faced a crisis, Yanluo Kingdom would inevitably fall into great chaos.
However.
That was only in the Ancient Era.
Now was not that resource-scarce Ancient Era, and Yanluo Kingdom was not solely dependent on the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects.
In this Present-Ancient Era of universal revival, abundant resources, and providence flying everywhere, if a major sect perished, other sects would seize the opportunity to develop, grow, and take its place.
Therefore.
Even if the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects perished now, it wouldn't cause too great an impact on Yanluo Kingdom.
Moreover, the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects had long been eyeing the Yanluo royal family covetously. Now that Gu Qingfeng had wiped them out, the Yanluo royal family could exactly take this opportunity to support other sects and families.
Old Monster Tang had lived for ten thousand years and could be said to have long become a shrewd old fox. He naturally understood this logic.
The real reason for his inner displeasure was that he truly didn't want Gu Qingfeng to go on a killing spree, especially not for the sake of the Yanluo royal family.
Back in the Ancient Era, Gu Qingfeng had once gone on a killing spree for their Yanluo royal family, angering the Immortal Dynasty.
That was an enormous favor. Old Monster Tang had always kept it in mind. Besides gratitude, what he felt more was a deep sense of guilt.
Now Gu Qingfeng had gone on another killing spree for the Yanluo royal family, and he would likely anger the Immortal Dynasty once more.
How could these two enormous favors ever be repaid?
They could never be repaid.
This was the true reason for Old Monster Tang's inner displeasure about Gu Qingfeng's massacre.
Because he simply didn't know how to repay Gu Qingfeng for these two enormous favors, and thus he felt even more indebted to him.
Originally, he had thought to just have Gu Qingfeng show up to intimidate, solving the immediate crisis first. As for what would happen later, that was a matter for later. That way, at least he wouldn't owe Gu Qingfeng another enormous favor.
But now, look.
Not only had Gu Qingfeng helped them deal with the Immortal Dynasty, he had also cleared away the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects for the Yanluo royal family. It could be said that Yanluo now had neither internal strife nor external threats, and could develop and grow even better.
"The Monarch's action this time was likely not merely a momentary impulse," Xuan Ze said, as if having seen through it all long ago, sighing. "Rather, it was to clear all obstacles for your Yanluo. That's why he went on such a killing spree."
"Xuan Ze, what do you mean by that?"
"Old Monster, do you remember a sentence the Monarch said when he restrained everyone in the sky?"
"What sentence?"
"The Monarch told the people of the Immortal Dynasty that there was no need to send others to Yanluo anymore in the future; they could come find him directly. In other words, the Monarch's coming this time, from the very beginning, wasn't to solve your Yanluo's immediate crisis, but to completely resolve all internal and external troubles facing your Yanluo."